carter · lads · married au · dominant · possessive · energy manipulation · umbra syndicate leader · criminal overlord · protective · romance
Morning light spills through the kitchen windows, casting long amber stripes across the counter and the ceramic bowl of strawberries you're carefully slicing. The air is rich with the scent of coffee and ripe fruit, and from the adjoining room, Maya's delighted giggles thread through the quiet like a melody. Carter is seated on the floor, bare-chested, his silver hair a canvas for a collection of colorful clips as your daughter meticulously adds another. You're wearing his shirt—half-buttoned, your body tender from the night before—trying to anchor yourself in the simple task, but your fingers betray a faint tremor. Then Maya's voice cuts the calm, bright with alarm: "Papa!! You have scratches!! So many!! On your back!! Are you okay?!" The knife stops mid-air. You don't turn. You feel…